Lin Xiaoxiao thought about what her brother had said and had to admit he was right. Zhou Huai'an and Zhou Xiaocheng's futures were far too important to risk.

Zhou Bingwen called Zhou Zhennan and Zhou Huai'an into the study to talk. Zhou Xiaohong remained kneeling on the floor, crying and begging Li Yunlan for forgiveness.

Li Yunlan wasn't foolish. She might occasionally be too trusting, but she was sharp. She looked at Zhou Xiaohong with deep disappointment. "Xiaohong, did it never occur to you that Hu Ling might want to harm your sister-in-law? No, it did. You know exactly how much the Hu family hates us now."

Zhou Xiaohong shook her head, sobbing. "Mom, no, I didn't—"

Li Yunlan raised a hand. "Let me finish. You knew, but you chose to ignore it. Because you resent us too. You think we favor your brothers, that we never cared enough about you. You think we abandoned you after what happened to you, that we went to Gansu and forgot about you."

"Your own happiness was destroyed, so you can't stand to see anyone else happy. Part of you even thought it would be better if Lin Xiaoxiao lost her babies. You can't bear the joy on her face. You want everyone to be as miserable as you are."

"But Xiaohong, you are our child. How could we not love you? Your eldest brother suffered so much growing up. Isn't it natural we want to make it up to him now? If you had only talked to me, like Xiaoling does, would things have ever come to this?"

Lin Xiaoxiao looked at Li Yunlan in surprise. She had expected her to be too upset to think clearly, but instead, she saw everything with painful clarity.

Zhou Xiaohong was speechless. Her mother had put into words every dark, hidden thought in her heart. She didn't want to be this person, but it was as if a demon had taken root inside her.

Too exhausted to say more, Li Yunlan waved a hand. "Just go."

Zhou Xiaohong crawled forward on her knees. "Mom, please don't send me away... I'll never do it again..."

Her pleas were frantic, desperate. For the first time, she felt Li Yunlan might truly sever their ties for good.

After crying for what felt like ages with no response from her stony-faced mother, Zhou Xiaohong finally wiped her tears, stood up, and stumbled over to Lin Xiaoxiao. "Sister-in-law, I was wrong. I know I was wrong. Please, just forgive me this once?"

Lin Xiaoxiao, still holding half a steamed bun, stared at her in astonishment. This apology didn't seem sincere in the slightest.

Lin Wenbin narrowed his eyes at Zhou Xiaohong, then turned to his sister. "You've already had three buns and a lot of other food. Don't overdo it—you might send yourself into labor."

Lin Xiaoxiao was about to retort when a sudden, tight cramp seized her belly. A sharp pain followed, and she felt a warm gush between her legs.

She grabbed Lin Wenbin's arm tightly. "Brother... something's wrong. I think the babies are coming."

Lin Wenbin shot to his feet, knocking over a teacup. "Now?!"

Li Yunlan rushed over immediately. "Xiaoxiao, where does it hurt?" Hearing the commotion, Zhou Huai'an and the others burst out of the study.

Zhou Zhennan went to call for a car to take Lin Xiaoxiao to the hospital. Zhou Huai'an, panicked, scooped her up into his arms but then stood frozen, unsure what to do next.

Lin Wenbin was the calmest of them all. "Get her coat! And the bags—the hospital bags!" Li Yunlan was already hurrying to fetch the things prepared for the baby.

No one had expected the babies to arrive on New Year's Eve. The house descended into chaos, alarming even the neighbors, who helped get Lin Xiaoxiao safely to the hospital.

Even Cheng Mingzhong's family, who lived at the back of the compound, heard the news. Their children had been setting off firecrackers on the main road and saw the Zhous rushing Lin Xiaoxiao to the hospital. They came back and told the adults all about the excitement.

When Cheng Mingzhong heard, he said to Cheng Mingyue, "Xiaoxiao is having her baby. You should go see her. See if they need any help."

Despite his sister's many flaws, she was still Lin Xiaoxiao's birth mother. He didn't want them to be enemies forever, and this seemed like a chance to mend things.

Cheng Mingyue hesitated. She had probably already offended Lin Wenbin, and Lin Xiaoxiao had been cold and distant, treating her like an enemy. Wouldn't she just be inviting rejection?

Cheng Mingzhong sighed. "You're still her mother. Do you really want to never see her again? Let the past be past. If you show her kindness now, maybe your relationship can heal."

Cheng Mingyue also sighed. "It's not that I don't want to. But Xiaoxiao misunderstands me so deeply. I'm in a difficult position."

Li Jing, who couldn't stand how Cheng Mingyue always shifted blame onto her daughter, gave a thin, fake smile. "Mingyue, you should listen to your brother. Put aside everything else—think about what status Xiaoxiao has now. If you repair your relationship with her, wouldn't Dalong's future be secure? You're being handed an opportunity, and you're refusing to take it."

Cheng Mingzhong frowned, displeased. "What kind of thing is that to say? She is her daughter, not a tool for calculation or a stepping stone for Dalong! If that's how you think, then don't go. Don't make things worse for her."

He threw down his chopsticks and stormed out. He couldn't go to the hospital himself at a time like this, but he wished he could.

Li Jing watched her husband leave, then turned a reproachful look on Cheng Mingyue. "You know why you came to Beijing. Why are you pretending now? Do you really expect Lin Xiaoxiao to come begging for your affection? Don't even dream of it. If you don't hold onto a relative as well-connected as this, aren't you just resigning yourself to watching her have a good life without you?"

Cheng Mingyue fell silent. She knew Li Jing was right. She was just struggling with her pride. What if she went to the hospital only to be humiliated by Lin Xiaoxiao's mother-in-law?

In the end, her son's future won out over her pride. She decided to go to the hospital after all. Lin Dalong and Lin Hongyan insisted on coming too. The three of them got the hospital address from Li Jing and set out.

It was past midnight by the time they neared the hospital. The streets were still busy with people out walking—most were heading off to pay New Year's visits early.

The three were so focused on finding the hospital that they didn't notice the man following them—not until they entered the building and realized he had followed them inside.

The man quickened his pace, drew level with Lin Dalong, and clapped him on the shoulder. "Do you know how to get to the maternity ward?"

Lin Dalong turned and looked at the man in surprise. "No, we don't. We were just about to ask for directions."

The man smiled. "You're not from around here, are you? How would you like to do a job for me? If it works out, I can give you anything you want."